The Angel Of the Shadows
by Cloud-Irving
Summary: Lloyd and Colette are married and so is everyone else.  But when the Village is attack again and the adults hurt, can the kids save them?  And can Kratos kill his old friend for the final time?  And will the truth of the newest Irving's origin be told?
1. Chapter 1

**Cloud-Irving: Hi, this is my first fan fic so it may suck. I hope not, anyway, this is the story of Cloud (yes this is my character). She is Lloyd and Colette's daughter (cry in corner), and the newest chosen because some how Yggdrasill is alive. So please enjoy.**

**Kratos: I have a granddaughter, this will be interesting.**

**Me: Thanks a lot. Make me feel sad about this, meanie.cry**

**Kratos: panicking Sorry!Hugs **

**Me: Thank you, Grandfather.**

I stood alone, staring at the blue sky from a large pine tree. The sun was high in the sky and the ground below me was dusty, empty of any wild life or monsters. I blew a strand of my blood-red hair out of my face, and closed my red-brown eyes.

"Cloud! Where are you?" A voice called from the ground.

I looked down. Staring up into the branches around me was Dares Sage, a half-elf friend.

"Hey, I'm up here!" I yelled down.

"Well then get down here!"

I smiled and jumped down, landing on my feet. Dares jumped and scolded me, "Cloud, you know that your family doesn't want you to use the Exsphere. You could get hurt."

I grinned, "Me? Get hurt? Yeah, right." I started to walk the opposite direction.

"Cloud, you need to go the Dirk's, Kratos is here!" Dares yelled at me.

I smiled and turned to run past him, Dares jumped back as I almost ran him over. "Thanks, Dares!"

Dares started to laugh.

I ran into the house and tackled Grandfather Kratos, who started to laugh as Mom and Dad rolled their eyes. "Cloud, why did you tackle your Grandfather?" Dad asked.

"Lloyd, you're just jealous that Kratos lets Cloud hug him and not you."

Dad looked down, "Shuddup Colette."

Grandfather Kratos laughed again. "So Cloud, are you ready for the festival tonight?"

I smiled as I thought about the festival that I was part of, I would be performing a short version of my parents journey with their friends. I would be my mother and would have to act like her. It is not my favorite part but its okay.

"Well, I think that today's is going to be really interesting because I'm the age dad was when he left."

Grandfather Kratos smiled and said, "Frank wanted to see you. You better go and see him.

I nodded and waved good-bye as I went to see Grandfather Frank.

**Me: Okay, maybe this was not the best first chapter ever but….it does get better.**

**Kratos: What are you going to do? I think it will be silly to kill yourself.**

**Me: Who said I was going to die?evil laugh **

**Kratos: If you die, you are grounded.**

**Me: Dangit. You can be mean, do you know that?**

**Kratos: smile That is my job.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Hi! Okay, here is chapter two. I know that chapter one was short and weak but it gets better in two and three.**

**Kratos: Cloud, your Mother wanted me to ask you if you cleaned your room.**

**Me: (groan) Yes, I cleaned my room. (muttering softly) Yeah, yesterday and the day before that and the day before that….**

**Kratos: I can hear you.**

**Me: Dangit! Stupid angel hearing!**

**Colette: Cloud, did you tell Grandfather Dirk that we have the crystal we were looking for?**

**Me: (Screaming at top of lungs) YES! Now can I PLEASE be left in peace?**

**Kratos: (rolling eyes)**

I walked into the village of Isilea, and looked around for my other grandfather. The people around me moved away slightly and gave me strange looks.

I had gotten that all my life.

Mom said it was because of Grandfather Dirk being a dwarf, Dad said it was because Grandfather Kratos being a mercenary.

Grandfather Frank was Mom's Dad, and the mellowest of any of my Grandparents. He was the one who had started the festival in the first place.

He lived with his mother Great-grandmother Phaidra, in the left side of the village.

I saw Professor Raine Sage and her daughter Sapheria teaching the younger class.

I walked past them and headed into Grandfather Frank's house.

"Grandfather Frank!" I called out.

"In here Cloud." He yelled back.

I walked into the back room. He was sitting one of the chairs that were scattered around the large room.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"Yes. Come here. I have something to give you."

I walked over and kneeled beside him. He handed a ruby shaped crystal to me.

There was a bright flash of light and suddenly it was attached to my neck.

"What the….!?" I yelled, "Grandfather Frank, what just happened?"

"Don't worry Cloud nothing has happened, the crystal is kind of like an Exsphere. They can't hurt you." He smiled, "Now, just go back home and get ready for the festival."

I nodded and walked out of the house, and into the school. Professor Raine stood at the front of the class asking the younger students questions about the journey of my parents and herself. No one noticed that I came in, except her daughter Sapheria. I smiled and waved as I listened to Professor's lesson.

"Okay, what was the main goal of the journey at the beginning?" She asked.

A boy named Mithos raised his hand.

"Yes, Mithos."

"The original meaning for the journey was to regenerate the world. However, as the journey progressed the meaning and hopes of it changed into reuniting the two worlds of Slyvarant and Teth'ella. The participants of the quest wished to save all who were suffering."

"Thank you, Mithos. Now, because of the Chosen's journey of Regeneration, the world that's Chosen did not succeed would fall into a decline. Causing the world to have problems with mana and the appearance of Desiens. But, because of the success of the journey, we no longer must worry about any harm coming to us."

I raised my hand.

Raine smiled and nodded to me.

"You say that because of the journey, the world was saved, that may or may not be true. The appearance of monsters has escalated to the point of it being dangerous to go any where outside of the village. What would bring this to be?"

She smiled again, "You see Cloud, monsters may just be appearing because of the festival or because of the increase of mana. Thank you for the question, now class, I want you to think about Cloud's question and tell me what you think on Wednesday. You may go."

The class nodded and started to gather their things.

"Professor, you didn't have to stop the lesson because of me. I thought I could listen in."

"You can Cloud, but I had told the students that they could go home early as it is festival day. You just happened to remind me."

Professor Raine turned and started to gather her things. The way she had said that made me think that may be there was something else that made her want to cut class short. The parents never liked it when any of us asked questions about the increase of the monsters and the mana increase. They always brushed us off if we said something like what I had. I thought that may be I could get her to say something if I asked in one of her classes.

I guess not.

Professor turned and waved good-bye as she walked out of the classroom; Sapheria rolled her eyes and looked as annoyed at her mother's brush off as me. "What do you think that was about?" She asked.

"I have no idea. She does that every time I ask a question. Some times, I think she does not want us asking questions about the things that are happening now, and I want to know why. Is there something that she does not want us to find out?"

Sapheria shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I have no clue, Cloud." She looked at my neck, "Oh my gosh, what is that?"

"Oh this? Grandfather Frank gave this to me just a bit ago. He said that it was important. I only have it one because it will not come off. It fells weird, as if it has a story to tell or something. Moreover, if your mom had not have run off like that I would have asked her why it felt that way. It rather freaks me out, because it feels old and like it could hold more power in it than any one could control. Does that sound strange to you?"

She shook her head again. "Not at all, maybe Mom should hear about this. We'll tell her after the performance."

I nodded, "Well I better get back to the house so I can get ready. Bye!"

"Bye!"

As I walked home, I thought about what I said in the class. Why did I say that? It wasn't something that the children should have heard me ask. They didn't need to worry about the state that I thought the world was in. It would only upset them and that was the last thing that any of us wanted. Maybe I should just forget about the monsters and get ready for the festival.

I walked into the house to find it empty. I didn't really think about it, it was festival night and they would be getting the village ready.

Later that Night

I still had not found my parents or Grandfathers. However, I had other things to think about. As I meet up with the other kids, I found that their parents were "missing" as well.

"I can't find my Mom any where. And Dad hasn't gotten back from his base in the desert, I think." Saphira said as she got dressed as her Mom.

"Yeah, and my parents just out of the blue left the house and still haven't come back." Said Kharlan as she dressed as her father (she is twelve and her aunt choose her to be Genis.)

Derris nodded in agreement with his younger sister. He would be playing my dad.

"I want to know if my parents went to visit my Great-grandfather again, I hate it when they don't take me with them." Telia said as she put her red hair under a black wig.

"Telia, if they went to see your Great-grandfather, then why would Zelos go? Your Great-grandfather hates him." Said Tye as he dressed as Telia's dad.

"I need to find Grandfather Kratos; he's the only one who is going to be in the play from the original story. And where is Mithos, he has to get into the angel leader's outfit." I said as I but my hair under a blonde wig.

Everyone just shrugged their shoulders and finished getting dressed.

We all walked out of the rooms and froze as a gruesome sight met our eyes.

**Me: (evil laugh). The parents have gone away…..YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!**

**Kratos: I told you that if you killed yourself that you would be grounded and now if you killed your parents then you are going to have to move in to Derris-Kharlan with me.**

**Me: Dangit. I may or may not have killed them just wait and see, Grandpa.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Hello all those who have come to read this.**

**Kratos: Cloud, is there something that you need to tell me? Such as…..ARE YOU ON DRUGS???**

**Me: (hurt voice) You think that I am in drugs? That is so mean. I am NOT on drugs. I only wanted to welcome my readers. **

**Kratos: …**

**Me: Here we go!**

We stopped as the view of our parents lying on the ground covered in their own blood met our eyes. Derris cursed and grabbed Kharlan, keeping her away from the blood of their parents. Grandfather Kratos kneeled beside Dad and Mom, trying to heal them. I ran over to him and fell to my knees, staring at the large cuts on their stomachs. "W-w-what happened?" I asked.

"A man attacked as we were-"

"I attacked." A deep voice sounded from behind me.

I turned pulling out the two blades that I had learned how to use. A man with blonde hair and green eyes, eyes that made me want to run and hide. I took a step back as he walked up to me. "Why, Cloud can't you tell who I am?"

Grandfather Kratos growled at the man and drew his blade, "Stay away from my granddaughter, you phantom!"

"Kratos, you know as well as I that I am no more a phantom then Lloyd is a scholar. You have known that I have been alive since that brat behind you was born. You are the one who could be considered a phantom; you lie at every chance you get. I bet she doesn't even know that she is-"

"Shut up!" He yelled as he slashed at the man.

The man jumped up and dodged Grandfather's slash. "Now, now Kratos. You should know better than that. You need to remember that you have grown old compared to what I can do."

"I said SHUT UP!"

Grandfather slashed again, but tripped and fell as the man appeared behind him and in front of me. "Hello, little _Irving_. Do you know my name as I know yours?"

I looked at him blankly; he had blonde hair down to the middle of his back, and green eyes that radiated hate. If I had ever met this man, I would know it. "No, of course not, your _Grandfather_ would not have allowed that."

Grandfather Kratos ran up behind the man and slashed at him, going right through him, and out the other side. The man just ignored the blade and continued to look at me. "I will tell you my name if you give me yours afterward."

I could not help it I nodded. "My name is Mithos or Yggdrasill as some call me. I am an old friend of Kratos'"

I opened my mouth (and not that I wanted to) and told him my name, "My name is Cloud Kratos Irving."

He laughed after I said my last name. Then he noticed the sword through his middle section. "I will take my leave and have another old friend of our, Kratos, take care of the **minor** wound."

With that, he disappeared.

I turned to Grandfather and looked at him with the "what the hell was that?" look. "Later, we need to take care of their wounds."

Later

We took the parents to my house to heal their wounds; it seemed that the only ones to escape any injuries were Grandfather and Professor Raine. Professor healed everyone and helped the other kids get into bed and out of the way. She tried with me, but failed, as I would not leave my Mom and Dad's sides. I kept, running what the man had said about my Grandfather. How could that man know my Grandfather? Grandfather always said that he lived alone and on the road. He said that he never talked to anyone so that he can get through whatever it is that he does.

Grandfather was sitting outside the house, staring at the moon. I walked out and sat beside him. "Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded and remained quiet. "Look, if you're mad about the whole me saying my name to that guy, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it; I had to tell him my name."

He looked over at me and looked at me shook his head. "No, I do not blame you at all. There is much that I need to tell you about that man and myself. I need you to be able to listen and to-"

His voice stopped coming, but his mouth continued to move. Red inched into my vision as I felt my self, falling to the ground. I barely felt Grandfather catch me and I could see his mouth moving as, now, shadow slipped into my eyes.

**Me: (Looks as Kratos) See I'm not dead.**

**Kratos: (Looks at me with distain) I don't care that you are not dead now, but I want to know what you are going to pull.**

**Me: (Grin) If I told you that, than, you would know what I was planning, and I don't want that. You have to wait like everyone else.**

**Kratos: (rolls eyes) Whatever.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Sorry that I have not written is a long time, my computer deleted the story, and then it was taken away. Therefore, here is chapter four.**

**Kratos: (looks at me with annoyance)...**

**Me: He is giving me that silent treatment! Whatever, enjoy.**

The world around me was a mixture of colors, some named and others not. Lights of every color flouted around me like fairies from myth. Nothing caught my attention until I saw a woman who looked like me appeared. She had brown hair that was the same color as my dads and caring brown eyes. Her eyes seemed to brighten when she saw me.

"Cloud? Is that you?" her voice was slightly familiar, though I couldn't place where was from.

"You know me?"

"Yes I do."

I cocked my head; she did not strike any memories in my mind, though she did give me a sense of security. She seemed to watch me as if she has not seen me in a very long time.

"Who are you?"

She smiled slightly, "I'm your father's mother, Anna."

"You look like my Dad and me. Grandfather Kratos doesn't talk about you."

She smiled sadly, "That is not for me to tell you. It is for you to learn. There is much that you will have to face, danger that will threaten you from every corner and turn. There are people who will wish to harm you and the other children. It is both your job to protect them and be protected by them. Trust only those you have known since the beginning of your time."

I was confused by her words but locked them away in the back of my mind so not to forget them.

She began to look around with a worried expression. "Go now, Little Angel. There is some one that only wishes your harm. Wake up."

Everything around me began to become fuzzy as I slipped out of this strange dream world and back into the awake world. The only thing on my mind was 'Who was that woman really?'

**Me: (smile) Its short, but I'm already on the next chapter.**

**Kratos: You brought Anna into the story, you're shouldn't know Anna….**

**Me: (Evil Grin) You shall see.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: (Singing) Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground? Well, I will tell you my friend one day this girl's gonna stand and your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**

**Kratos: What are you doing?**

**Me: Singing. **

**Kratos: Why? Shouldn't you be writing?**

**Me: …Mayyyyybeeeee…**

**Kratos: Cloud…**

**Me: All right, all right.**

Voices swam around me as the world of the awake called to me.

"_Revitalize_!" a female voice called.

Who was hurt? What was going on?

"_Come on Cloud. Wake up! Cloud!_"

Me? Wasn't I awake? I can hear everyone. However…

"_Cloud Kratos Irving! If you do not wake up this instant, you are going to be grounded for the rest of your life!_" My Grandfather's voice called to me.

I tried to open my eyes, and flinched when the bright light of the room hit them. Grandfather Kratos and Professor Raine stood around me, staring. "What happened?" I asked as I tried to sit up.

Grandfather looked at me and narrowed his eyes. His anger and fear apparent on his face, but he helped me sit up anyway. Again, I repeated my question.

Grandfather and Professor Raine looked at each other with worried faces, as if they were unsure of telling me something. "Cloud, something happened after you passed out." Grandfather said as he started to pace.

Professor Raine looked out the window with a look of pain and heartbreak on her face. I looked over to her and noticed that none of the other children were in the room and neither were any of our parents. Actually, I don't think I was in the same room, I was in my room.

"What happened? Stop going in circles!!!! Tell me!"

Raine turned and looked at me with a strange look on her face, almost as though I was someone else. "Everyone who was attacked by that man is dying and there is nothing I can do about it."

As she said that, I felt like she had punched me in the stomach.

"Mom and Dad?"

She nodded.

"Aunt Presea and Uncle Genis?"

She flinched, and then nodded.

"Is there anyone that will be okay?"

"Sheena and Zelos were not here, they were traveling back from Palmacosta. Your Grandfather, Yuan, and I are the only ones who weren't harmed in the attack. Cloud, I wish there was something more I could do."

Grandfather Kratos placed his hand on her shoulder. "We will have to leave to village soon."

"Why? I don't want to leave; I don't want any of this to be real!" I felt tears begin to fall down my cheeks, something that had not happened in a long time.

Grandfather Kratos grabbed my wrist, "Stop crying, this is not the time. The other children need you; they are outside with Sheena and Zelos."

I glared at him with an anger I never knew I had, "Fine."

I walked over to my second story window and jumped out, not caring that they saw I used the Exsphere.

------------------

Raine looked at Kratos with pain in her eyes. "You could have let her cry. The rest of them have. All of them need it and deserve it, doesn't she? After all, even my children have cried for the others, and they aren't going to lose their parents before the night is out."

Kratos sighed, "There is no time for her tears now. In addition, this is not the place. If we wait for very long, he will come back. Lloyd said that he was masquerading as Frank for the last 17 years. It is not a surprise how she got the Cruix Crystal now. Frank probably died during the journey and was replaced by one of the infernal fragments."

Raine stared out the window down at the children, "Where do we go? Will the other fragments find us?"

"I don't know. We need to take her to the temple tomorrow. One of my angels will meet us; I have already sent a message."

Raine nodded, still staring at the children. "Who is coming with us?"

Kratos gave her the 'who came with us last time?' look. "With our luck they all will. They all know everything that could have been taught here. They know how to fight, to survive. Its time to put that to a test."

--------------

Everyone was quiet. Aunt Sheena and Uncle Zelos were, or rather were trying to, comfort Kharlan. Derris and Tye were gone, Sapheria and Dares sat over to the side of the group with their father. Telia was the only one who wasn't with an adult that I didn't want to talk to.

"Hey."

She turned and looked at me, "Cloud, are you alright?"

"I think so." I lied.

"I'm sorry. All of this seems like a bad dream doesn't it?"

I nodded. At this point, it did. A nightmare I would never wake up from. "Telia, I think I want to kill that man."

She looked at me with a strange look. "I think I want to help you."

Soon the other kid joined us and the adults left. I repeated what I said to them. They all agreed. If we ran into that man again, he would die.

**Me: That is it for Chapter Five. I really didn't want to kill the parents of some of the kids, but I thought if Yggdrasill came back and attacked he wouldn't just wound them. So…. At least some of them die and not all. Though I think Kratos is going to kill me.**

**Kratos: That is right.**

**Me: If anyone is angry, I'm sorry, but really is there any other way that they would leave the village? And when you think about it, would he really just barely hurt them? See my logic?**

**Kratos: Still grounded.**


End file.
